Desert Fire #1 (Burning Palms) Possibly 1983 - 1994

This is "Desert Fire #1 (Burning Palms)" by Richard Misrach, a photograph. Looking at it, I'm struck by the almost monochromatic palette. It's like the whole scene is dipped in a sepia tone, except for the flames themselves, which are this fierce, vibrant orange. The texture here is so interesting. You've got the soft, billowing smoke against the sharp, almost skeletal forms of the palms. It's this tension between the ephemeral and the permanent. I'm drawn to the way the smoke rises, almost like a ghostly figure, obscuring and revealing at the same time. It reminds me of how we often perceive things – not as fixed realities, but as fleeting glimpses. Misrach often deals with the intersection of humans and nature, often with a sense of unease. It's like he's saying, "Look at what we're doing," but without being preachy. Think about someone like Edward Burtynsky, who also captures these kinds of landscapes, but maybe with a bit more distance. Misrach gets right up close to the fire. And that makes all the difference.